


I'm Only Human (The K-12 Remix)

by afrocurl



Series: remixes and such [18]
Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Calm Down Erik, Charles Always Says the Absolute Worst Thing He Could Possibly Say, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Erik has Issues, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Gen, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-11 07:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7881934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik had plans on how to exact ten years of bullying by Sebastian Shaw when he entered Hammer Bay High School.</p><p>Too bad he met Charles Xavier. Things went differently from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Only Human (The K-12 Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hexiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexiva/gifts).
  * Inspired by [I'm Only Human](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748690) by [Hexiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexiva/pseuds/Hexiva). 



> I hope that this fits into your original story, Hexvia. I really enjoyed working on this. 
> 
> This also bridges both the story linked and the other one in the series if anyone is curious where some of the other plot points are from.

Tools clinked loudly on the floor where Erik was attempting his first - but not his last - prank to get back at Sebastian Shaw. The locker room was empty, but the sound of the wrench and hammer were far too loud for Erik as he kept working; the echo played with him, making him think that someone else was there. But he could not get caught. If Erik was going to make Sebastian pay for all of those black eyes and bruised ribs from the last ten years, he was going to start now and keep going. He had great plans to ruin Sebastian’s gym locker before he moved on to the one inside the halls of Hammer Bay High School.

He felt like he was almost done with denting the door and then putting another smash to the lock so it wouldn’t open when a voice said, “You shouldn’t do that. You’ll get suspended.”

“If I get suspended, it’ll be worth it, just knowing that Sebastian’s day will be ruined.”

“But you won’t see it if it is,” the voice replied. Erik turned around and saw a boy in khakis and an Oxford shirt, with floppy hair and an expression that said he clearly did not understand Erik’s logic. Other people usually did not understand his logic, and that was why Erik tried to keep to himself, even if he had bad luck as a result.

“Hearing about it is good enough. After what he did to me this summer, I’m starting my payback today. I’ve finally had enough of the bullying.” Erik was firm in his conviction to ruin Sebastian’s life and there was nothing another person was going to say to change his mind. Nothing. “He used his mutation against me for years. Are you saying he doesn’t deserve something back?”

“There’s got to be another way to get what you want.”

Erik shrugged. “Sure there is, but I like this way of getting revenge best. Dad said I should stand up for myself now, and this is how I’m doing it.”

The kid had a firm voice when he spoke again. “You don’t like him because he’s a bully or because he’s a mutant?”

Erik paused to consider this question before he said, “I don’t like him for both of those reasons. Why?”

“No reason, but I think there’s a better way to beat him at his bullying. If you’d like some help,” the boy said.

Erik only hummed. “Let me think.”

“Sure,” the kid said. “If you want to talk, just ask for Charles Xavier.”

“Erik Lehnsherr,” Erik said, and then he went back to looking over his work.

-

After their first meeting, Charles began hovering around Erik at school. Erik was only annoyed in the sense that he had limited opportunities to ruin Sebastian’s days, but he found that he did not mind Charles acting as the angel on his shoulder. 

He really wanted to find a devil for the other side to get shit done. But, Charles.

Rumors circulated—people thought that with how often they were together they must be dating, but Erik thought little about it. He had never been the focus of attention, except as the object of Sebastian’s scorn, but some of the kids in his class started to talk to him because he was talking to Charles.

Erik let those conversations pass over him. He had one mission and one mission only.

-

Halloween had come and gone, and despite everything Charles still hung around Erik like a puppy.

“How is this helping me get back at Sebastian?” Erik asked one day as they were sitting in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven waiting for Erik’s dad to pick them both up after school.

“Well, we’re getting to know each other and that way we’ll come up with a plan. Sebastian has friends, so why don’t you?”

-

By winter break, Erik had friends. They were all more Charles’ friends than his, but they all hung out and Erik felt like he had more support at school than just his human teachers. There was Alex, Darwin, Sean, Angel and even Charles’ little sister Raven, who were constantly hovering around Erik’s orbit like moons, but Charles was the brightest of all. Erik did not want to admit that he liked Charles, but he did. There was something in Charles’ way that put Erik at ease, but he could not pinpoint why.

But the friends helped. Friends who had no mutations to lord over Erik, and who did not use them to make Erik’s life miserable. They would eat pizza, plot how to get back at Sebastian, gorge on soda and laugh until they cried. 

Despite all the new friends and the new hours spent not obsessing about Sebastian, there was something that felt off to Erik. He let it wash over him because he wished to believe in Charles’ plan.

-

Erik’s favorite class was Introduction to Robotics with Mr. Trask. Not only was Trask one of the few human teachers on campus, but he was the one who most disliked the policies of Genosha that put mutants first and humans second.

Erik idolized him. Not just for Trask’s political beliefs, but for the way that Trask found a way to lighten Erik’s world in a way that until now was only possible when sitting next to Charles.

And Charles still had no idea how to get back at Sebastian. It was nearly spring break and Erik’s patience was wearing thin.

“Mr. Trask, how do you think we humans can fight against mutants?”

There was a long pause, but Trask was busy shuffling through papers before he said, “I’ve got an idea.” Trask pulled out a set of blueprints. “This, this Erik, will be our salvation.”

-

“Where’s Angel?” Erik asked as they were having one last kickback before school started.

Everyone shook their heads, but Erik kept focusing on the good rather than one person from their group gone missing.

-

Monday morning Erik wished he had paid more attention to where Angel had gone the day before. Because now there were flyers littering the campus, outing most of the school as mutants.

It was not a shock to Erik that his classmates were mostly mutants, even the ones who looked normal, but there was one name - larger than the rest - that made him blanch. He had thought all his “friends” were like him, but staring at him was the news that he had been wrong. Very wrong.

 **Charles Xavier** was the biggest and boldest name of them all. 

Angel materialized from somewhere in the hallway and walked not towards Erik but to where Sebastian, Emma and Azazel were all chatting. Angel looked like she wanted to be stuck to Sebastian’s arm, but it was hard to do when there were dragonfly wings coming from her shoulders.

The flyer he was holding crumpled in Erik’s hand as if he had no control over his body, and as he turned from his locker, Charles was there. Magically Charles had appeared. Was that part of what Charles could do? Was he able to make himself invisible? Erik both wanted confirmation of Charles’ powers and then he wanted to avoid knowing that Charles had lied to him.

“Is this true?” Erik asked, using his other hand to point at one of the other myriad flyers on the floor.

“Is what true?” Charles asked back. Charles had not looked at any of the flyers on the ground, or the one taped to his locker that had a red circle around some names.

Erik picked up another paper and shoved it in Charles’ chest. “That you’re a mutant?”

“Yes, that’s true.” Charles’ voice sounded as sure as ever, which made Erik see red.

“And after you knew how much I hated Sebastian, hated mutants, you decided to make me the biggest fool? You made me befriend your kind in a lie.”

“No, never that. I wanted you to know that not all mutants were like Sebastian.”

“But--” Erik started before he felt his eyes watering, part rage and part sadness. “But you didn’t tell me you were like him. Or tell me they were like Sebastian. A lie by omission is still a lie.” Erik raised his voice to make sure that the whole school heard what had happened. “You were supposed to help me. Is that why we hadn’t worked on any of our plans? You wanted to protect him like you want to reject me?”

“I’m not rejecting you or protecting Sebastian, Erik. I’m my own man, and while I didn’t agree with your ideas about mutants, I hoped we’d be better friends before I could make you see another side.”

“There isn’t another side. It’s you versus me. Mutants versus humans. We’re done.”

Erik walked away from Charles and started to head towards Trask’s room. He needed some comfort today.

 _Erik, don’t go. Don’t ruin this,_ rang through his mind but Erik paid it no attention. He had plans now that had no use for Charles Xavier. Or any other mutant friend he thought was a real one.

It turned out Erik’s life so far at Hammer Bay High School had been full of illusions.

But there was one point that had been real: mutants had ruined his life. He went to Trask’s room to plan his revenge on them all.

-

“Mr. Trask, will you help me start a club here on campus?” he asked while they were going over a plan to build a new model hand for class.

“What sort of club?” Trask asked in reply.

“The Brotherhood of Humanity. A club for humans and only humans. Where we have a space to feel safe and discuss issues that affect us here.”

Trask hummed, but said, “Is this because of that list from yesterday?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that. I want to know I belong somewhere.”

-

Even though it upset most of the ASB students, Erik was able to start the Brotherhood of Humanity, with Trask as an advisor. 

It was a small club but it gave Erik a sense of purpose and self whereas he had felt lost since Spring Break. There were only a few more weeks of school, but Erik had definite plans for how to make them better for people like him after everything.

-  
Almost nine months after he started the year with a hammer and wrench, Erik had them out again. This time, he had no intentions of harming any of Sebastian’s lockers, though. He had something he _needed_ that would change the course of his summer, and the rest of the school year. 

He found that Trask’s lock was easy to pick, and that made everything better. There was little light with it being so early in the morning, but he had to make sure that the blueprints were in his hands before finals started and everything else wound down for the break.

-

Erik cradled the blueprints he had taken from Trask’s room as if they were his salvation. They might be, he surmised as he saw all of his old “friends” giggling together while he sat in a corner and ignored the rest of the school. Late May was here and most everyone was signing yearbooks, making summer plans.

He was right back where he started the year, but it felt different this time. He had a different plan for sophomore year, and he was going to make sure no one knew he was a fool for befriending mutants.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [redacted] for the beta work.


End file.
